1984
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Should I read?
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Nina
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Jan 25, 2012 11:21AM
is this book worth my time?
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Of course! I can think of few books that are a waste of time. I read it in school and it has been a loooong while since then. I do remember somewhat enjoying it and not having to force myself through it.
My teacher recommended it but i wanted someone an opinion from someone else first. Thank you!
definitely...I do remember it being a little hard for me to get into it at the beginning, but I persevered and ended up loving it!have you ever read animal farm by him? I loved that one, too, and it's a pretty easy read...
No, I've never read Animal Farm. What's it about?
Yes it is. It's dystopian fiction and something which will stay with you for a long time. Animal farm is about animals on a farm taking control, attempting to build utopia, and then it allll goes to shit.
I personally love his work, but your milage may vary from mine. I can still recommend at least to try out. If you hit any snags/ don't get something, by all means talk with your teacher, I'm sure he'd be glad to help, or us :).
well...it's about a farm in england where the animals (who can think and speak) overthrow their human masters, and develop a sort of animal-run utopia after they expel the humans- the story (and lesson) is then about what happens to their new society...orwell wrote it as a sort of commentary on communism. I just really enjoyed the story and the characters, and it was a very quick, easy read. I had to read it in high school about 10 years ago, and then reread it just a few months ago...it's been a lot longer since I read 1984, though.
*edit*
sorry, I didn't see that someone else had already answered the question! :)
Nina: This book is worth your time because it is well written and it is a great social commentary that you will find yourself thinking about long after you have finished the book.
Thank you for your suggestions on both 1984 and Animal Farm
Yes, one of the best books in the world!!!
This is my favourite book, I would highly recomend it.
It's important to read this book if only to understand all the allusions that are made on a daily basis to it-- in news articles, other books, etc. There are many terms and ideas from this book that have served as a launching pad for other books. It's one of those foundational books in modern literature. A good pairing would be 1984 and Brave New World.
I agree with Ana about reading both 1984 and Brave New World, they are great books.
There are a lot of other books and plays that I have read that are far more entertaining, but for me, 1984 is amongst a very few books that really opened my eyes and made me look at the world and our society in a different way. It's not just a good book; it's an important one.
what books do you generally like to read?
This is a book that will realy make you think about where the world is going. Might even get you scared of where it's going. You should read it, though. I think everyone should. The book is more of a warning to the world than a story.
It's a simple answer: Yes!! I don't want to repeat what everyone else has already said (brilliant answers by the way). It's just one of those books that will stay with you forever. It's a book that will creep into your psyche, forever. So..read it!! And, I hope you enjoy :)
if you haven't read it i'd say read We by Yegevny Zamyatam instead, it was the precursor to 1984 and is largely a better book. These days We is a very under read book as if you have read 1984 you have read We - which strikes me as a great shame for Zamyatams legacy - to be the guy that Orwell completely ripped offso read We, then read 1984, and then decide if it is a work of genius or a work of plagarism
Yes, you jolly well should read 1984.It's fantastic.
Great book, worth the read; it took me a month off and on reading to get through it. It's worth the time and makes you look at how things are now and you can see the similarities to current events, scarry.
Do NOT read this book if you have strong opinions about how a main character in that kind of situation should act. Personally, I think the main character is a weak, compromising excuse for a man. Don't read it if you don't want that kind of character.
Sonora, I agree, he is a bit weak; still a great novel. I wish I would have read this book at a younger age.
This is one of the most important books ever written. Orwell was a visionary. Everything that he predicted in this book has now come to poisonous fruition in the US.
Nina wrote: "is this book worth my time?"Nina ,its one of the best book ..with every page it creates hidden urge to take it till the end ..and also gives you and insight to what extent can the govt or bureaucratic can exploit the common people to achieve their personnel goal...so go ahead and read
but first you should go through Animal farm by the same author ..then you will be compelled to read 1984.
I remember reading this for school and I actually enjoyed it! I read it in a weekend because I couldn`t put it down. There are some parts that are kinda slow, but it`s all in all a very good book!!!
It's all around you.
I'm gonna use reference of this book on my group's job of Media (in the privacy title) because of that strong control that Big Brother has in everithing... i've just see the movie but I'm like you I didn't know if i should read it. I was undecided between Brave New World and 1984 but now i'm reading the first one
my teacher read that book and i was curious about what it was about. i was amazed because i didn't expect a story like that. to me that is an out of the ordinary book. besides the year 1984 has passed, but it is a classic.
Anything seem familiar about this book to anyone? Can't put my finger on it...
If this book isn't worth your time, none are! It'll change your life!
Excellent book, worth keeping in mind the accuracy in which he predicted our modern society from a purely fictional perspective! Sometimes feels surreal, should finish with LOL .... Ironically
Definitely worth reading. The story blew my mind when I first read it.
It's worth it, especially to be able to fully understand the extend of the expression :big brother is watching.
Definitely a must read! It's one of the most classic futuristic dystopian novels ever!
Does android dream of electric sheep is pretty good too
Absolutely worth reading. A little slow to start, but it's really a fascinating story.
Definitely! It will change the way you see cctv for start and with that you might wonder if freedom it's no more than a virtual concept.
This book is definitely worth reading then I suggest reading Huxley's Brave New World for a different slant on Dystopia.
Apart from my agreement on ideology and vision, expressed in many earlier comments, I'd say this is not Orwell as fictionist at his best, for example, Coming up for Air is much better novelling ;-) That said, 1984 is a momentum in English literature. Anyone triggered by 1984 or Animal Farm; please do read some of Orwell's diaries, or his novel Down and out in Paris and London.
Orwell is so much more than just the author of two great books. Just google his essay Why I Write....
Good luck and good fun to you all.
W.
Perhaps I explain a bit more in favour of Orwell, or Eric Blair as he was in real life; he was a recognised journalist and had more than a bit to say in politics at the time. My sympathy though was won by his crazy ways of getting stories. Before getting anywhere near a real job, Orwell almost literally explored the gutters to keep alive, this is what his book Down and Out... is about.
Even when established as a journalist, he would go undercover, act as a drunk, and get locked up; just to get a real life piece of how jail was in England, not so much fun....
Orwell always was allergic to false heroes and rewriting history in favour of the winning party. That is actually what much of 1984 is about.
He was a soldier in several wars and came to realise that true heroes never get mention and people who barely existed get invented as heroes afterwards.
And precisely that was his drive to always keep documenting, writing, and pressing to get the real picture out.
Sorry if I'm boring you here, my pleasure if it adds. I've heard before that reading fiction is for youth, and reading about the authors themselves is for old folks; I beg to differ ;-)
So... has the OP read it?
This book is absolutely worth your time! A bit depressing and in all honesty frightening. However, I recommend this to almost anyone who expresses an interest in reading. I also recommend Anthem by Ayn Rand (another great dystopian novel).
When 1984 was 20 - 30 or more years in the future, it was a great book to read. Now that the year has been and gone, not so sure. I re-read it a few times; last time I found it difficult to read and boring.Still, it may be worth you time to read it, to compare how much like the futuristic society has become reality and to become familiar with phrases such as "Big Brother is watching you" ~ think Homeland Security and U.S. government spying on its citizens, using "War on Terror" as reason to do so.
easily one of my favorite books, definitely read it.
I guess. 1984 was one of the greatest books I've ever read. Books don't always need happy endings to be memorable
1984 is more relevant today than ever. Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World, Atlas Shrugged, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. As mentioned by others above, are all great books, with very relevant themes for today. Some of the technology and language may seem a little dated, but the themes are timeless. I have read 1984 at least 4 times with many years in between readings. I'm still amazed at this book. Two way TVs will be coming to a Best Buy near you soon, "reality" shows, Newspeak (media bias) and thought crimes (political correctness) are part of our daily lives.
One of the most important, significant, and memorable books of all time. Every page is Orwellian genius. Winston, O'Brien, Julia, Big Brother, Oceania, and Room 101 will live with you forever.
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